Voltaire
February 2014
Dear Friends,
Sometimes God uses people who are not believers, or who are even hostile to the faith, in order to protect his people. Old Testament examples might include Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, and others.
One of the most influential skeptics in the Enlightenment was the French pundit Voltaire (1694-1726 1778). His satire, Candide (1759), almost singlehandedly dismantled the current philosophy known as “Optimism,” heralded by Gottfried Leibniz and Alexander Pope. In the story every time a new catastrophe befalls the poor young Candide, his mentor, Master Pangloss, simply tells him, “it’s all part of the plan in the best of all possible worlds.”
Though skeptical about traditional religion, Voltaire also had a highly developed sense of justice. He mounted a thoughtful defense of Jean Calas, a Huguenot falsely accused of murdering his son for supposedly returning to the Catholic Church. Voltaire gathered evidence from all quarters and was able to have Calas exonerated posthumously. The case became famous throughout the country. Voltaire then wrote his Treatise on Tolerance (1763) which was a critical document leading to the acceptance of Protestants in France.
Who might be the Voltaires of today? We know of local French politicians who are avowed atheists, but who defend the right of Christians to celebrate their faith in public. Our Seminary in Aix has often benefitted from such “angels.” It is good to know who is really in charge of the world!
Special thanks to all of you who gave so generously before the new year. Our Boice Chair has now reached its first goal!
Very Truly Yours,
William Edgar, President
Religious At The Core
November 2013
Dear Friends,
The eminent French sociologist and theologian Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) spent much of his life commenting on humanity’s natural proclivity for belief. Everyone, Ellul argued, is religious at the core. When the Christian faith diminishes, which it certainly has in Europe, it is not replaced by empty secularism, but by other religions. Writing in the 1970s, his choice of substitute gods (or “new demons” as he called them) are two sets of twin axes: technology/sex and statehood/revolution.
Perhaps a bit dated... or is it? An astonishing amount of hedonistic pleasure is beckoning our young people, much of it over the internet. Much as it can be a blessing, technology can become the new Tower of Babel, promising control and even omniscience. And are we not witnessing an increasing grip by government on every aspect of life? And what response can be effective? In many parts of the world it is literally revolution. Even in the West, there is a spirit of revolution, as people try to resist the state but are unable to offer much that is positive in its place.
France today has an extraordinary welfare state. Some of that is quite good, helping the poor, ensuring health coverage, and so forth. But all the recent studies show a direct correlation between the welfare state (intriguingly given the name “État-Providence”) and the discouragement of work. Not only is productivity lowered, but a mentality of over- dependence and even resignation are encouraged.
How can the Gospel of Jesus Christ make a difference in our beloved France? The Seminary in Aix-en-Provence is training leaders who can apply the Scriptures to such issues as the proper work ethic, an appropriate view of government, the cultivation of holiness, and the like. But they will never present these virtues as a list of moral imperatives; rather they are the fruit of a Gospel-driven people.
For your encouragement: enrollment in Aix is robust; more publications are edifying the church; we have nearly reached our goal of $750,000 for the Boice Chair! Thanks for your faithful support to this great cause!
Very Truly Yours,
William Edgar, President
Morose State of Mind
September 2013
Dear Friends,
As we look to yet another rentrée, the beginning of the school year, along with new terms in just about every domain of life in France, it might be well to listen to what the journalists and commentators are saying about the state of the union. Morosité is a commonly heard expression. Literally, “moroseness” is a state of mind that describes a nearly universal sense of malaise around France.
Those of us who love this country have to wonder what the problem really is. Such beauty, such earthy wisdom, fine-looking roads and buildings, advanced medical arts, strong families... What is wrong? Is it the unemployment? Certainly the rate is high, the euro zone is not helping, and increasing dependency on a strong Germany does not sit well with most French people. Yet the ennui goes deeper, and farther back.
Here is what I think. French people need to protect themselves. They do not want to be naïve, nor optimistic. Because there is a chance there may be nothing to believe in. As Roger Cohen once put it about the French mentality, “far better to be morose than a fool.” We should have great sympathies with this view. Though profoundly un-American, it is an echo of Ecclesiastes, and maybe even of Job. Yet there is something self-defeating about such a protectionist mentality. Anyone who is that consistently guarded knows there might be something else out there besides folly. There might be... hope. If you scratch deep enough you will find that French people do have some of it. They talk of l’exception française, the French difference. They want universal truth or no truth at all. They do believe!
But there are deeper reasons to crack moroseness. The gospel brings hope, but not fool’s hope. Indeed, this hope comes at a high price: the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. And though it’s free to anyone who asks, believers too must suffer. That is the message delivered at the Faculté Jean Calvin in Aix-en- Provence, which is also celebrating its rentrée. Perhaps French people aren’t morose enough. Sin is far more oppressive than ennui. The gospel is a far better liberator than optimism. What a great time to spread this message in France!
Very Truly Yours,
William Edgar, President
Urban Missions Week
May 2013
Dear Friends,
The Faculté Jean Calvin, our Seminary in Aix-en-Provence, is full of surprises. They have just created a summer course, université d’été, on the theme of “Urban Missions.” The classes and break-out sessions will take place July 22- 26, 2013, on the grounds of the Seminary.
Why are they devoting an entire week to the city? For starters, over one half of the world’s population now lives in a city. Why is that significant? Because the characteristics of the city are unique. Everything from the proximity of great numbers of people to the accelerated pace and interconnectivity of city- dwellers means they will think and act in somewhat different ways from those living in rural areas. Not absolutely, of course: everyone, wherever they live, are God’s image-bearers, sinners in need of grace, facing economic challenges, family issues, and so forth. Yet city-dwellers have often come there for refuge, or advancement opportunities not always otherwise available. Cities are places where different cultures and ethnicities confront one another intensively. Many of them come with strong religious commitments. This presents special challenges as well as special opportunities.
Does the Bible have anything special to say about cities? Considerable amounts. After being expelled from the garden, the first populations busied themselves with building cities (Gen. 4:17; 11:4). Prophets such as Jonah addressed their message of repentance to entire cities. Paul and the other apostles concentrated their missions on cities. And, most important, heaven itself is a great city, the Jerusalem from above (Heb. 13;14; Rev. 21:20).
For this course, experts will be brought-in to discuss prospects such as making the gospel relevant to the city, church planting and leadership development, theology and urban missions, care of the poor and homeless, and much more. And, much more to come in the future. But, really, this is no surprise; our Seminary is on the cutting edge.
Very Truly yours,
William Edgar, President
Charleston
February 2013
Dear Friends,
Charleston, South Carolina, is a magical city. Many know Charleston for its well-preserved architecture, its cultural offerings, its amazing restaurants and breath-taking vistas. Others will know it as the place where slaves from Africa were auctioned off. Indeed, slavery, the greatest shame of American history, allowed astonishing prosperity in the production of cash crops in that State.
Significantly, Charleston is the place where the Civil War began. On December 20, 1860, in reaction to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President, the South Carolina General Assembly voted to secede from the Union. On April 12, 1861 General Pierre G. T. Beauregard led a successful attack on the Union- held Fort Sumter, in the Charleston harbor: this was the official beginning of the war. Charleston’s defeat, with so many sites destroyed, was all the more devastating. Ironically, the city was also a place of refuge for a number of minorities, including the Jews.
For our purposes it is of great interest that Charleston was a place of refuge for thousands of Huguenots. The first Huguenot refugees arrived in 1680, just before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. In 1685, Monsieur le Pasteur Elie Prioleau, from the town of Pons in France, came to Charleston (then known as Charlestown, named for King Charles II of England), to lead the French Protestants in their new land. Alain Peyrefitte, the French scholar-politician, once remarked that France’s most costly error was to have persecuted the Huguenots. Their banishment, he reckoned, damaged French culture irreparably, whereas, it permanently enriched the places to which they fled. And Charleston is one of them.
The Huguenot Fellowship is planning two important events in March. Their purpose is to introduce the new Boice Chair occupant at the Seminary in Aix, Jean-Philippe Bru and his wife, Dana. The first will be held at the Philadelphia Country Club, Wednesday, March 20th, 2013. The second will be in Charleston, SC, on Saturday, March 23rd , which will be an entire week-end affair, full of marvelous discoveries! We very much hope you can attend one or both of these events. An invitation will soon be sent out. If you would like to get a head start on them, please contact our administrator, Beverly McFarland, at bevmcf@gmail.com.
Very Truly yours,
William Edgar, President
How French View America
November 2012
Dear Friends,
Our newsletters often describe French culture and the state of religion in the French-speaking world. This time we will go the other way. In a recent issue of Le Point, a report was published depicting how the French view America. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the article described the typical impression of America held by many French people.
Here are some of the items on the inventory. (1) No one has health insurance. (2) Every American wears a gun. (3) Anyone who works hard can rise to the top. (4) Americans only eat hamburgers. (5) Capitalism is rampant. These are, of course, either not true at all or silly half-truths. Only 16% of the population is without health insurance; a large number, to be sure, but far from 100%. Although the Second Amendment allows carrying weapons, there are many restrictions on who can purchase them, and where they may be carried. While hard work is often rewarded by promotions there is no one-to-one equation between them. Our economic system is a far cry from pure capitalism
The two others that leapt out at me were: (6) Every American believes in God. (7) All Americans are prudish. According to various surveys, only about 70% of Americans believe in some divine force or a god. And at least 16% of Americans are not affiliated with any church or synagogue. The number of younger people who doubt God’s existence has been increasing over the last few decades. And only somewhat older Americans claim to hold traditional views on marriage. The younger generations make no such claim. Certainly, Europeans in general, and French people in particular tend to believe in God far less than Americans. In France, only 27% say they believe in God, and that is counting the large immigrant population. And many espouse a rather loose approach to love and marriage.
Our Seminary in Aix-en-Provence is busy preparing leaders to go out and reach these populations. They are not bringing them American culture but the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks for all your support!
Very Truly Yours,
William Edgar, President
Boice Chair New Occupant
September 2012
Dear Friends,
We have some good news. The James Montgomery Boice Chair of Practical Theology has a splendid new occupant: Jean-Philippe Bru.
The Rev. Bru was born near Bordeaux in 1965, but grew up in Nîmes, a major center of Protestantism in France. His family embraced the evangelical faith in the 1970s. After high school, Jean-Philippe attended our Seminary in Aix for a year. He then trained as a missionary in the Baptist Church, and was sent as a church-planter to Rumania. There he met his lovely wife, Dana. Together they returned to Aix so that Jean-Philippe could complete his studies. Dana is a scholar in her own right, an expert on European literature.
After receiving the Masters degree at Aix, the Brus accepted a call to help with a church-planting effort in Lyon, alongside Francis Foucachon, another graduate from Aix. After six years in that work, the Brus were called to do evangelism in Saint-Girons, a town at the foothills of the Pyrénées, the mountain range bordering on Spain. He has also been a regular translator for Editions Excelsis, the largest evangelical publishing house in France. Jean-Philippe was ordained in the year 2007 in the Evangelical Reformed Church.
Here is how Jean-Philippe describes his sense of call to the Seminary at Aix: “If I accepted the position of professor-coordinator of practical theology, it is of course because I have always been drawn to teaching, but it is especially because I have become more and more aware that pastors needed, in addition to their formal training, to be able to reflect theologically about their practice and to enlarge their toolbox in order better to face the challenges of their ministry.” Jean- Philippe believes the Faculté Jean Calvin is the right place to carry this out.
The Huguenot Fellowship is privileged to be able to introduce the Brus to their American supporters next March. For those of you living near Charleston, SC, mark down March 22, 2013 in your calendars for a soirée featuring Dana and Jean-Philippe. Please join us in rejoicing over the Lord wonderful provision, and in praying for a great impact for God’s Kingdom through the rejuvenated practical theology department at Aix.
Very Truly Yours
William Edgar, President